[tripower]

I was hoping to drive around old Pontiac Michigan next week while there for the show and cruise. Are there any buildings left from the old PMD ? Just looking at the map and remembering an old article from HPP, I think Pontiac Headquaters was at the NW corner of Telegraph & Elizebeth Road (correct?) as well as old Pontiac and Fisher body plants. Was wondering too what was at Joslyn & Motcalm ? Any idea what is there now? Thanks for any info!!

[Old Blue 66]

Going to the Woodward show Norm?? If so, theres a caravan of Cruisin Tigers going.

Back to subject. We tried that a few years ago in a GTO caravan and got seriously lost in a bad neighborhood. If you try and find them (if they are still there), be carefull. You wouldnt believe the looks on the faces of the "local" folks with about 5 GTO's driving around their hood.

[tripower]

Wish I was bringing the goat but we were going to the cruise and the Woodward Tigers show Sunday. Crusin Tigers guys always have been there as long as I can remember. Nice to see fimiliar faces there! Will you be there Paul?

I know what you mean about wrong turns in Detroit, been there done that!

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by tripower

Wish I was bringing the goat but we were going to the cruise and the Woodward Tigers show Sunday. Crusin Tigers guys always have been there as long as I can remember. Nice to see fimiliar faces there! Will you be there Paul?

I know what you mean about wrong turns in Detroit, been there done that!

Wish I was Norm. Thats the most fun I have with my car all season long. I love the dream cruise and the Woodward Tigers put together a great show. When your there, say hello to my friend Roger. He's taken the reigns for the show this year. No budget or vacation time for me.


Also, if you have time, hit Wild Woodys cruise on Sunday night. Its way off the Dream Cruise route, but its Cruisin Tiger tradition to hit that place after the Tigers show. Ask one of the guys how to get there. Cruise nights in Detroit are way different than here in the Chicago area. Theres a place called Cruisin Collectibles in the same place as Wild Woodys. They have a HUGE die cast collection and are friends of both clubs.

[JZD_Fan]

I just realized that I'd never even seen a picture of Pontiac, Michigan. So I did a Google Image search. The place looks like a dying/already dead sh*thole.

And this from Wiki:

"The city is sometimes referred to as "the Yak" or "Yak-Town" by locals. Many younger residents are proud to claim the side of the city they hail from."

"WEST SIDE!!!" If that isn't a sign that a city is a dangerous pit, I don't know what is.

I'd still like to see some truthful pics of it if you guys decide to roll through and show the glory that once was and what it has become... the factories, the dilapidated old mansions, etc. I'm endlessly entertained by stuff like that.

Take plenty of ammo and play some zombie-killing music.

[Txbobcat]

I went thru there 5 or 6 years ago. There isnt a Pontiac dealer in town and in fact I never saw any Pontiac at all. Kinda disappointed.

[Keith Seymore]

I had an opportunity to drive around last April and posted some pics on this thread:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=380990&page=4

(page 4, post #61)

You are correct; these are off Joslyn Road in the Montcalm area.

K

[Keith Seymore]

...and this is the only Pontiac dealer I can think of still in Pontiac (Auburn Hills, actually).

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=542288&page=3

post # 43

This is the former Packer Pontiac at their newer northern location.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by JZD_Fan

And this from Wiki:

"The city is sometimes referred to as "the Yak" or "Yak-Town" by locals...

I've never heard anybody say that...

[tripower]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I had an opportunity to drive around last April and posted some pics on this thread:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=380990&page=4

(page 4, post #61)

You are correct; these are off Joslyn Road in the Montcalm area.

K

Ahhh, thanks Keith, great info there!

[Keith Seymore]

You are welcome.

Lastly, it's not on Woodward per se, but just one major street over is the location that was formerly Royal Pontiac (now Jim Fresard Pontiac).

It's located at 400 N Main in Royal Oak (Main Street is also known as Livernois to the north and south of Royal Oak).

K

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

You are welcome.

Lastly, it's not on Woodward per se, but just one major street over is the location that was formerly Royal Pontiac (now Jim Fresard Pontiac).

It's located at 400 N Main in Royal Oak (Main Street is also known as Livernois to the north and south of Royal Oak).

K

Looks like they are out of business

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Old Blue 66

Looks like they are out of business

I may have taken those on a Sunday morning (I don't recall now) but they are definitely still alive and kickin'.

I also think they have consolidated the used cars down into the main building too (if you are referring to the empty-ish sales lot).

K

[Old Blue 66]

The pic of the back of the building I would assume is the parking for the service department?? Its empty which I thought was a bit strange. Nice pics though.

[citydesk175]

Pontiac, MI
8/15/2008
I am sitting in my cubicle at a GM office building that was converted from a truck and bus assembly plant, so this building is HUGE

I took a bus tour at the Grand Canyon this year and the bus had a nameplate by the driver that announced "GM Truck and Bus, Pontiac Michigan" and I wondered if that bus had come down the assembly line where my cubicle now sits. I enjoyed the irony of it.

What is there in Pontiac? you may well ask.

1. Pontiac Centerpoint Campus: former truck/bus assembly and now office and soon vacant. I think it will get rented out to outside concerns and perhaps torn down

2. Pontiac stamping = East Columbia off Joslyn... far as I know NO tours

3. Pontiac Assembly (Trucks) 2100 S. Opdyke Road ----- NO Tours

4. SPO Pontiac 1251 Joslyn --- You can go there but they might not be the repository of the parts you want and I have no idea what their hours are.

Good luck
and feel free to ask for more details, I just might be able to find out something

Regards
CD175

[tripower]

Thanks for the info CD175, e-mail sent to ya.............

[citydesk175]

This is my response to Tripower's request for a tour of Orion G6 assembly plant.
The only place that offers a plant tour in MI is Ford Rouge. They may be closed on weekends.
And I doubt that the GM Heritage Center is open either.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Tripower
Thanks for your interest in General Motors and Pontiac.

I just got off the phone with one of the managers from my group here in Pontiac and he says there are no tours of Orion this weekend or any other weekend as far as he knows.

The only plant that has regular tours is Bowling Green KY (Corvette)

My bet is that no other plant offers tours because of liability and cost.

I did take a tour of the Pontiac car assembly plant before it was closed down and torn down
The tour started at the Fisher Body Plant off Baldwin and we rode a tram through the plant. Sigh.....

The old Pontiac HQ is near downtown and has been 6 different kinds of welfare office since it had been sold.

Just North of the old HQ is (was) Plant 4 where machine guns were made in WWII (and it later became a huge storage area for original Pontiac Display Art or Advertising Art)

About the only other place of interest up my way is what remains of the Packard Proving Grounds on Vandyke South of 23 mile in Shelby TWP. I don't know if there is something happening there or not.


Good luck at the Cruise

Citydesk175

[Keith Seymore]

The Packard Proving Ground is normally not open to the public.

They do host an occasional open house or fundraiser. I was able to attend one last fall; pictures are posted here:

http://v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=...hlight=Packard

[Keith Seymore]

It appears the Rouge Tour also takes place on Saturday (although that doesn't help much for this week):

http://www.thehenryford.org/rouge/tickets.aspx

Monday - Saturday, 9:30 am to 5 pm.

Speaking of Ford stuff, I have a list and have visited some of the more obscure locations of interest if anyone wants to know:

The Usual:

Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village
Henry Ford Estate (Fairlaine Mansion)
Edsel Ford Estate

The more Unusual:

Henry Ford birthplace (original location)
Henry and Clara Ford grave site (Ford Family cemetary)
Henry and Clara's first house in town (Boston/Edison historic district - private residence)
Ford Highland Park plant (where the moving assembly line was introduced - ruin)
Ford Piquette Avenue plant (birthplace of the Model T - ruin)
Dearborn Inn (the first "airport" hotel - still in operation)
58 Bagley Avenue (original location - where Henry built his first Quadracycle)
1st concrete mile in America (Woodward Ave between McNichols and 7 mile)
Mack Avenue plant (original location)

Non Ford:

Original Packard plant
Packard Proving Grounds
GM Milford Proving Ground
Meadowbrook Estate (Dodge family mansion)

Shoot me a PM if you want to find any of these and I can point you in the right direction.

K

[citydesk175]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

The Packard Proving Ground is normally not open to the public.

They do host an occasional open house or fundraiser. I was able to attend one last fall; pictures are posted here:

http://v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=...hlight=Packard

Kieth
Thanks for the great pix, I really appreciate the list of products made by the auto companies for WWII. I will augment my web page list which is now GM production only.

It was great to acknowledge Packard here and show a great marque was here in our corner of Michigan. Packard PG is still worth a drive-by as our visitors search for the Michigan community of "Disco" (No car connection that I know of but just neat)


Regards
Citydesk175